Pretty Close to Perfect
by Frederica
Summary: Takes place before Restless and will eventually end where Restless begins. Confusing isn't it? It starts when Gohan and Videl go on a trip to Curacao. What will happen when Gohan and Videl are getting closer and Gohan is very afraid to hurt her?


**Pretty Close to Perfect **by Frederica

**Chapter 1: Pretty Close to a Perfect Holiday**

-- -- -- -- -- --

"So this is it," Gohan said, taking two tickets out of the pocket of his pants. He and Videl were standing in the waiting line in front of a big cruise ship. The dock on which they were waiting was crowded. In front of them was a long line with families and suitcases, and behind them there was an even longer line. Gohan was holding his suitcase in his hand. Next to Videl were the suitcases of Sharpner and Erasa.

"This is it," Videl looked up at him with a small smile. She had been looking forward to it so much. The cruise ship ahead of them was gigantic. The ship was too big to see anything that was on it. It was a plain white ship with some dark circles higher up, which were supposed to be windows. There was nothing to see at this part. There was a small bridge leading down from the ship to the docks. In front of the bridge were multiple guards, dressed in blue suits, checking the tickets and wishing people a well trip. Employees on the ship were helping families with their suitcases and showing them around the ship. If they had not won the tickets, it would have cost them a fortune.

"They're going to ask questions, you know?" Gohan said. He was dressed in a white blouse and black baggy pants. It was not something he would usually wear, but he did not know what else to wear on a ship. He had never been on a cruise ship before, or let alone been to Curacao.

"About what?" she answered. She was wearing a blue sleeveless dress, which reached her knees, with orange and green flowers on it. A transparent vest covered her naked arms. Gohan looked into her blue eyes. He was attracted to them. He could admit it to himself, but he knew he could never admit that to Videl. He wanted her to trust him.

"About your luggage," he answered in a soft voice. Videl's eyes widened. That was a problem she had not thought of. She knew that she could be honest to Gohan about it, but Erasa and Sharpner did not know anything about it. She had not brought any luggage, because she did not want to be reminded of home. For two weeks, she wanted to forget about the abuse, and just have a nice time with nothing on her mind. If she would have taken luggage, she would be reminded of home constantly. Only Gohan knew about that. Sharpner and Erasa still had the illusion that she was at peace.

"I don't know… Could we tell them that I put my stuff in your suitcase?" Videl grabbed his hand tight and looked back into his dark eyes. He was concerned about her, she could see it. She wished that she could make it better, but she knew that the only way that she could make it better was by not being honest with him, but she wanted to be honest with him.

"Videl, of course we could do that, but if we did, they would probably get the wrong idea," Gohan said. Videl looked down at the wooden dock they were standing on.

"I don't care," she said with a small smile, "I want them to believe anything but the truth." She would not know how to bring it to them either. She managed to tell Gohan that she was being beaten up by her father for as long as she could remember, and that her father had friends who paid him to sexually abuse her. She had a horrible history, but she had managed to keep it from everyone but Gohan. Gohan, the guy at the creek, who had told her about his problems too... She only met him about a month ago. Gohan smiled back at her and squeezed her hand softly.

"Hey, guys!" Sharpner came running towards them with Erasa. Since it was crowded on the docks, he was pushing people aside to get through the line to Gohan and Videl. People turned around and threw them dirty looks. Some even cursed at them in different languages. This was Vegas, baby; a tourist city of many different cultures.

"Hey," Gohan said. He released Videl's hand and placed his suitcase next to Sharpner's and Erasa's. Erasa's suitcase was a big, bright pink one. Sharpner's was of medium size and brown. Gohan had the same size of suitcase and it was grey. His was really nothing fancy, but it was good enough to last for two weeks on a cruise.

"So, are you guys ready?" Videl saw Sharpner's eyes travelling to the suitcases. He frowned when he noticed that there were only three.

"We're ready. My luggage is in Gohan's suitcase," Videl said quickly. Sharpner started grinning, and Videl knew that Gohan had been right. They are suspecting something. Erasa smiled.

"Well, that's good, because we have two rooms for two people, and I want to share a room with Sharpner. You and Gohan have shared luggage anyway, so there won't be a problem, good!" Erasa said, smiling. Videl and Gohan looked at each other. Now they had a problem.

"Well, actually--"

"I'm glad, that's settled. Are you coming, Erasa? Let's buy some cotton candy. Could you please watch our bags a little longer?" Sharpner and Erasa left without even waiting for a reply. Gohan, who had tried to explain the problem, looked at Videl nervously. She was biting her lip nervously while pretending to be very interested in her shoes.

"Videl?" he asked. He was hoping that she was not angry at him.

"Yeah?"

"We'll think of something. I'll pay for another room so you can have this one. Really, this week, I want you to have a room for your own. This week you'll be safe, Videl," Gohan said, laying a hand on her shoulder. Videl was still looking down.

"Yeah…" was all she said. Gohan got down on his knees so he could look Videl in the eyes, but she looked away when he did so.

"I promise," Gohan whispered, before getting up again. She shrugged her shoulders, making the transparent vest slide of her shoulders a little bit. Gohan reached out and lifted the vest back up to cover her shoulder. Videl smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Thank you," she said. Now it was Gohan's time to shrug his shoulders, but he was grinning.

"You're welcome," he said. At that moment, the line started moving forward. Gohan grabbed his suitcase and Erasa's one. Videl grabbed Sharpner's one and they moved along with the line. Videl looked behind her, and then looked back at Gohan.

"Where are Sharpner and Erasa? This line is moving fast. If they don't get back here soon…" she did not finish her sentence. She just looked behind her and narrowed her eyes to the sun. Gohan looked too, but they were nowhere to be found.

"Don't worry. They'll be here soon. There's no way they would choose cotton candy over this trip," Gohan said. Videl laughed. The line was still moving.

"Why is the line moving this fast anyway? I mean, we had to wait and stand still so much before! Are they sending people away?" Videl stood on her tiptoes and tried to look past the people. Gohan wanted to reach out for her, but he stopped and laid his hands fall to the side.

"Do you want me to lift you up?" he asked. Videl turned around to him and shot him a sly smile.

"No thanks. Do you want me to lift you up?" she answered. Gohan took a step back, surprised at her reaction. She liked the effect she had on him. "What? You don't think I can?" Gohan smiled back at her.

"Well, you want to study forensics…you'll find whole bodies in a small bag, dumped off the highway and you will have to carry it to the helicopter yourself. I'm sure you can…"Gohan continued to smile as he looked down at his shoes. Videl sensed something more coming.

"But…?" she urged him on. Gohan looked back up at her and pointed at her with his hand.

"You're short," he kindly pointed out. Videl raised her hand and placed it on her chest and pretended to be hurt. Though she couldn't help but smile at him. Gohan started laughing to a Videl's fake reaction.

"So? I might be short, okay. Well, I'm proud to be short. You know what? I'm going to prove to you that my shortness is not a curse," Videl laughed as she pointed at him. "Get on my back!"

"I can't do that to you! I'll crush you!" he said, smiling still. Videl smiled back at him.

"Now!" She ordered him. Gohan nodded and walked to Videl. She turned her back towards him. Gohan was trying to get on her back, but he was really afraid that he indeed would crush her. Videl felt that he was a bit hesitant. "Just do it. This won't hurt me."

"Well, I sure hope not," Gohan said as he indeed got on her back. Videl had to admit that he was heavy. She had her arms wrapped around his legs in order to keep him up. Gohan had placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. Videl smiled and tried to make it look as if she had no problem with holding him at all. However, Gohan was sliding off her back slowly, until the strap of her dress snapped. As a natural reaction, Videl raised her arms up to her chest, in order to prevent the dress from sliding down too, and Gohan fell down, taking her with him as he still had his hands on her shoulders. People were pushed backward as they fell, and again Gohan and Videl were given these dirty looks and swearwords in different languages.

"Oh man," Videl said, holding onto the top of the dress as she sat up straight. She was sitting between Gohan's legs. She turned around and looked at him. He was supporting himself up on his elbows and he was looking rather confused. She could not help but laugh at the situation. "You okay?"

"Yes. Are you?" his confused look turned into a concerned one. Videl did not have the time to reply, because Sharpner and Erasa reappeared and they started laughing.

"Wow, it looks like you can't wait to be together," Sharpner snorted and he pointed at their position and then to Videl's dress that was broken on the left side. Erasa said nothing but she winked at Videl. Videl blushed, because she knew exactly what that wink meant; 'you go, girl!'

"Ehm…well, maybe you guys should stay here, because the line is hurrying up. We wouldn't want to leave you behind," Gohan said, as he got up quickly and then reached his hand out to Videl. She grabbed it and he helped her up. They smiled briefly at each other when Videl got back on her own feet, before releasing each others hands.

"Yes! We're almost there, aren't we? I'm so excited! Aren't you Videl?" Erasa asked, clasping her hands together. Videl faked a quick smile when she turned her attention to her best friend.

"Yeah! I can't wait. Did you get the cotton candy?" Videl asked, she was still holding her hand against her chest.

"Yeah, I did. Sharpner has it," Erasa commented.

"Oh, I see," and that was all Videl could think of saying. Her friend knew so little about her. She knew that she had met Gohan at the creek, but she did not know about Videl's past or present. Just like she had no idea for what reason Videl could not share a room with Gohan. As much as she liked him and for as much as she thought she trusted him, she was still a little afraid. She looked at Gohan who was staring at the boat. He did not seem hurt at all. He caught her looking at him, and she quickly looked away.

"I'm really sorry about your dress," he said in a soft voice.

"Don't apologise, it's not your fault," she answered.

"It is, I'll buy you a new one on the boat," Gohan said. Videl looked up at him.

"It's not your fault, okay! I ordered you to get on my back, so…" Videl had raised her voice at him, and now people were turning around to see where that voice came from. Videl froze as she met the looks again. This was becoming a real nuisance. If they did not watch their step, they would not be able to walk on the boat without people checking them out and making comments. Videl faked a smile at them.

The line continued moving, and soon they were in front of the line. Videl was still holding on to her dress. A guy dressed in a white uniform took Gohan and Videl's tickets. He shot a grin at Gohan. Gohan raised an eyebrow while putting his suitcase between his legs, so that he had his hands free to put the tickets away again. The guy ripped the tickets in two, and gave one half back at Gohan. He was still grinning at Gohan, and it made Gohan feel a bit uneasy.

"What?" he asked, not even trying to ask it in a polite way. He was a bit annoyed by this guy. If he had something going on, he might as well say it, instead of grinning like an idiot. Gohan looked at Videl, who was talking to Erasa about something.

"Newlyweds, ah?" he said, pointing to Videl's dress. Gohan shook his head.

"It was just an accident," Gohan replied, while putting the tickets back in his pocket. He grabbed his suitcase and continued to the small bridge.

"Well, anything's possible in Vegas!" the guy said, smiling. Gohan turned around and wanted to explain to that guy what truly happened, but Videl grabbed his arm and smiled at him and Gohan was distracted. Videl was hugging his arm… how could he not be in a daze? This girl did something to him he was not sure of what it was.

"We did not get send away!" Videl said. Gohan looked into her eyes, there was a slight sparkle in them. That was a sight he had not yet seen. A sly grin appeared on his face as he kept staring at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"For no reason. Come on, let's get on board!"

-- -- -- -- -- --

Videl was tapping her feet impatiently on the tiled floor. They were all standing in the main hall of the boat, waiting in front of the reception desk. Each tile was divided into four squares, two red and two white. It made the boat look more like a bathroom or an airport. Videl had to admit that this reminded her of an airport she had visited in Amsterdam, Holland. The reception desk was surrounded by shops of all kind; clothes, perfume, even a candy shop … It had everything. There was a casino, restaurants of all kind… it really looked more like an airport then a boat! Well, at least she could buy some clothes.

She looked at Gohan who did not seem impatient at all. He was looking to the left, to the candy shop. He was not drooling or whatever; he just seemed fascinated of some sort. Why was it that Gohan never complained? How could he have himself under control like this and yet entertain her? He was something special. She was staring at him, and her gaze was only broken when Gohan turned his head away to look at her.

"Candy from Vegas…is bad," he stated. Videl raised an eyebrow at him and folded her arms.

"Is it?" Videl looked at the shop. There was a lot of pink candy in the shop and a whole lot of other things, but the bright colours of the candy did not go well with the tux shop next to it, which had black as the main colour.

"Yeah, didn't you read that article in the Applied Forensics Dynamics Magazine? It was about guy who actually killed himself with eating chocolate! The cause of that was because the fumes in the air of Vegas--"

"Hey! Is it okay if we take the biggest room?" Erasa interrupted them. Videl looked up at her and nodded. When she looked at Gohan, she noticed that he was rather annoyed. She did not know whether it was because Erasa and Sharpner were acting like two little kids in Charlie's Chocolate Factory, or because his conversation with Videl had been interrupted. Sharpner nudged Gohan in the ribs.

"These two don't care how big the room is! They have a bed and, most importantly, each other. They won't need anything else," Sharpner teased. Both Gohan and Videl were not amused.

"Well, you guys go first then and ask for the biggest room. We'll take whatever is left," Videl said. She yawned and again looked around the boat. There were television screens in every corner and in the middle of the hall were a few red sofa's which seemed to be very soft. People were sleeping on it already, and the boat was not even moving yet. Nevertheless, Videl felt that she could use a good sleep as well.

"I'll pay for the other room," Gohan whispered in her ear. Videl turned to him.

"No, you're not. I'm the one having a problem here, so I'll pay for the room," she said. Gohan was too kind, and Videl did not want him to think that she was taking advantage of him. Gohan did not know about it, but Videl had enough money of her own. She was still trying to find the right time to tell him who her abusive father was.

"No, Videl. This is not a point of discussion. I want you to feel safe and happy for these two weeks, so I'm paying for the room," Gohan said. The determined tone in Gohan's voice surprised Videl. Videl put one hand on her hip and stared at him in disbelief.

"Are we really going over something stupid again? Watch out, or you'll get back on my back!" Videl said. Gohan started laughing. Videl smiled. She was going to have a nice time here. She knew that. Gohan was determined to keep his distance so that she felt safe, and she finally could be who she wanted to be. For two weeks at least.

"I'll still pay for the room," Gohan said with a smile. Videl shook her head.

-- -- -- -- -- --

After Sharpner and Erasa got the keys to their room, Gohan had told them to walk ahead while he and Videl would get the keys to their own room. As they walked off, Gohan went up to the reception desk and put his hands on the counter. There was a dark woman with black, curly hair behind it. She wore the same white uniform as these guys outside were wearing, but she was wearing a black vest too. The name tag said 'Carly'

"Good afternoon. Could you check if there is a room available for one person for two weeks?" Gohan shot her a gentle smile. Videl was standing next to him, she did not say anything. She was looking at one of the television screens where they were now showing a film in which they explained how the boat worked and what to do in cases of emergency. Yes…this boat must have been an attempt to build an airport once.

"Of course," the woman turned her attention from Gohan to a computer and she started ticking something in. It did not take long before she was done. "I'm sorry, but we have no rooms available anymore. We're sold out."

"Fuck!" Gohan said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Videl looked at Gohan with her mouth open. Gohan could swear! She never thought he would have that side to him. Gohan took the ripped tickets out of his pocket and gave them to her. "Well, in any case, we have a room for two persons."

"Alright, thank you," the woman again went to her computer and typed some numbers from the ticket into the computer. Gohan also handed her his passport. With the passport and the tickets, she went to the back of the reception and handed him the tickets and the keys. "Alright, mister Son, you have room number 645. You can get your passport back when you get off the ship. Have a nice trip!" the woman said with a smile.

"Thank you, you too," Gohan said. He grabbed his suitcase and walked to Videl. He gently placed his hand on the small of her back in order to guide her to a place where he could talk to her, but Videl jumped and turned around with widened eyes. Her reaction frightened Gohan. "Videl, I'm so sorry!" he wanted to lay a hand on her shoulder, but he thought that that would be an inappropriate reaction. Videl's breathing slowly returned to normal.

"It's not your fault. I just didn't see it coming," Videl said. She looked away and tried to calm down again.

"Videl, there's no room left anymore. So I'll just sleep on one of these sofa's or a chair on the deck. I'll find something. Or I'll sleep after you," Gohan said. Videl shook her head.

"No, you can't help it. It would be cruel not to let you sleep there," she grabbed his hand. Gohan could see that she was still a bit scared. He could not blame her, but he knew then that he wanted to do what was best for her.

"It's no problem at all. You seem tired. Come on, let's check the room out," Gohan said. Videl smiled. He indeed was not making a problem out of it. He understood her completely. With her hand in his, he led her to a staircase. They went up the stairs, and when they reached the deck, Videl let go of his hand and went to the railing of the boat. Gohan had to admit it was a sight to see.

To the right were the rooms six hundred to seven hundred, and to the left was the railing of the boat Videl was leaning on. Many other people were on the other side of the deck, waving at the people they were leaving behind. The boat was now moving, and they were drifting of in an orange sky. The sun was setting. It seemed like paradise. Gohan moved closer to Videl, and he started staring off into the distance too.

"I'm wondering," Videl said in a soft voice that fit the moment. She looked at Gohan from the corner of her eyes. "Why don't you have anybody to say goodbye to? You have both parents and a brother, right?"

"Well, I know that it must seem really crazy to you, but…" Gohan sighed and looked down at the water. "…not all is well at my place either. My mom's having an affair, I think. My dad's always out to train, and my brother is just too young to understand that all yet."

"Are you sure about your mom's affair?" Videl asked him. She was staring at him intensely. She was not the only one in a difficult position, which was for sure now. She did not know much about what it felt like to be in a true family. Videl always went solo. She was rather anywhere else than at home. Gohan was still staring at the water.

"I'm not sure, but there is a guy who spends a lot of time at our place and when they go out, she even smells like him. I don't know. The evidence never lies," Gohan said, faking a smile. It was Videl's turn to look down at the water.

"I'm so sorry," she said. She placed his hand on his, which was leaning on the railing. Gohan smiled at the contact.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for," he said. Videl let go of his hand again and Gohan moved away from the railing and started walking along the deck, with his head turned to the right to find the room. Videl felt his sudden change of attitude and she went after him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. She had to run to keep up with his fast pace.

"Yeah, I'm fine," but he did not turn around to face her when he said that. Videl shook her head and ran faster until she managed to get passed him. She then stopped running and stood right in front of Gohan. Gohan stopped walking. Videl threw her arms around his neck. She did not know how else she could comfort him, and the last thing she wanted was to give him the feeling that she was not someone he could only talk to.

"You're not fine! I can feel it," Videl said, as she buried her face in his shoulder. Gohan sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist as he carefully held her close and rubbed her back.

"It just hurts when you don't know the truth," Gohan said. Videl nodded.

"I can't disagree with you on that one," Videl said. Gohan looked down at her. He knew it took her a lot of courage to just hug him like that. It was not something she did to everyone she knew. He rubbed her back once more and then released her. She looked at him and saw that he was feeling better. Good, she did not know what else to do.

"Come on, you look tired. I'll bring you to your room so you can get some rest," he said. Videl smiled.

"You'll have to unpack first. If I don't unpack immediately, I'll never do it. I can tell you that after two weeks of not unpacking, it looks like a bomb went off. I don't know about you, but it's just some advice," Videl said. Gohan laughed.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea," Gohan said. When they found their room, Gohan fiddled with the keys and smiled. "They still use keys instead of key cards? That's kind of old, especially for a cruise like this."

"I like the key chain," Videl said. The key chain was a silver boat with 'Ellony, 645' engraved on it. The boat had a large sun on it.

"What's an ellony?" Gohan asked.

"My educated guess is that it's probably the name of the boat," Videl smiled. What an unusual name! This was definitely something else than all the boats named 'True Love' or 'Titanic'. Oh God, the Titanic…

"What an unusual name…," Gohan murmured as he unlocked the door. They entered a room which looked really expensive. The room was red, and the wallpaper actually was not paper, but some kind of silky material. Only the size of the room gave away that this was not a presidential suite. It was a little small. There were two small beds, one on the left side of the room and one on the right. There were no windows, so the room was dark, but there were plenty of lamps in the room.

"Wow!" Videl said as she walked to a table near the right bed. It was a desk, and it had a big yellow candle on it. She wondered if it was dangerous to light a candle on a sailing boat. If it was to fall, it would set the whole room on fire, that was for sure. "Well, it looks like you can stay," Videl said, pointing to the two separate beds. She had to admit that it was a surprise. She had thought that there would have been one big bed, but no. Maybe they would use this room normally for children. She did not know. There was a flat screen television on the middle wall. Would children really have a television in their room?

"Of course not! I'd leave you restless," Gohan said, smiling. There was a door next to the television screen, and Gohan wanted to open it.

"No! Don't! You might enter the neighbour's room! It's private! Leave it alone," Videl said. Gohan smiled and he opened the door slightly. He was waiting for something, probably a noise coming from the other room, but none came.

"See? No one is yelling at me yet, so I guess it's safe. Besides, if I wasn't allowed to come in, I'm sure they would have locked the door," Gohan said, smiling. Videl had to laugh.

"I swear to you that if someone happens to be in there and starts cursing at you, I'll tell everybody and I'd make sure that you'd never forget it," she said, sitting down on the right bed. She drew her knees up to her chest. "I'm going to laugh at you so much!" Gohan looked down at the ground before quickly opening the door to the room.

"Las Vegas police! Put your hands behind your head and drop that gun!" he said as he had barged into the room. Videl started laughing. He was definitely something different. Gohan came out of the room laughing as well. "Videl, if someone indeed happened to be in that room, I'd be shocked!"

"Why?" she got up from the bed and walked to him. The room was white and it had the same tiles on the floor as the ones in the reception hall. There was a bath, a shower and a toilet in the room. Videl clasped her hands together. "Oh, we got our own bathroom!"

"Yes, we do," Gohan said. "I hope the warm water works though. I like my showers hot." He looked at Videl who was frowning at him. "But I guess you really don't need that information."

"Oh, it's fine with me," she said with a sly grin. She walked back to the bed and sat down. Gohan closed the door to the bathroom and put his suitcase next to the bed on the right. He opened it and walked to a dark, wooden drawer behind his bed. He put some of his clothes in it, and then got out a blue booklet. He looked over to Videl, who was now lying down on the bed.

"You forgot to bring yours!" he said, lifting the book up for her to see. Videl shook her head.

"No, I didn't," she said, yawning.

"Than where do you have it?" Gohan asked curiously.

"It's up my dress," Videl answered. Gohan's eyes widened and he started blushing. He coughed and threw his book on the bed. He walked to the door and then looked at Videl.

"I just remembered that I forgot something. I'll be right back," he said.

"Okay," she replied. Gohan smiled as he opened the door and was on the deck again. He closed the door behind him, and he started to wander about. The deck was big. There were fifty rooms on the side he was walking past. After he passed five more rooms, he was out on a big space of the deck. There was a swimming pool and a lot of seats. Some people were sitting on them, but most of the people were leaning against the railing and throwing food at the birds who were flying along with the boat. Two people were making music on their violins, and had a cap placed in front of them with some coins.

It was busy on the cruise, Gohan could understand why they had no rooms free anymore. However, most of the people were below, shopping. Gohan noticed this as he walked back and walked down the stairs to the floor where he had received the keys. He again was amazed at the sound of the television screens. They were again explaining stuff about the boat, but this time in Spanish.

Gohan sat down on a sofa in the middle of the hall and looked around. He had to get Videl a new dress, but he had no idea what kind of dress. Did she want one that was alike to the one he ripped, or did she want something completely different? If she wanted something different, what would it be? Gohan shook his head. He was not very good at this. Gohan got up to the sofa and entered the clothing store, which was situated next to the candy shop. He was feeling a bit uneasy, just standing there and watching other people skipping through some racks of clothes. He did not know where to begin.

When Gohan noticed some dresses hanging from the wall, he walked to it as casual as possible and looked at each dress one by one, taking his time to decide whether Videl would like it or not. Gohan had not noticed that there was a man watching him, and Gohan jumped up when the man spoke up to him.

"Can I help you, sir?" he asked. Gohan looked at the man and started smiling nervously.

"Yeah, actually…I'm looking for a dress… A dress for a girl," Gohan said. The man frowned at him, and Gohan realised that he had not been very clear.

"Is it for a special occasion?"

"No, it's just for her to wear whenever she wants. It does not have to be very fancy," Gohan commented, as the bend went through some dresses. He took a blue on from the rack and showed it to Gohan. The material was soft, and it was a darker blue. It was sleeveless, and it would reveal Videl's back a lot. Gohan liked it, except for the fact that it was a really low dress and he knew that Videl would not like all the cleavage it would show. "I don't think that's very appropriate to wear when you go to a beach or such…"

"Oh, excuse me, I'll look for something else," the guy said. Gohan waited again, until he had pulled out a hideous pink dress, which looked more like some ballet costume than an ordinary dress. This old man had an even worse taste in dresses than Gohan. At least Gohan had an idea of what he wanted to get Videl.

"Pardon me, but don't you have something…ordinary?" Gohan asked nervously.

"Well, this is a modern clothing store, young man. We don't have many ordinary things. The only thing we do have is something like this," and he pulled out a black dress. It was simple black dress with some double layers of the material attached to it around the waist and chest.

"It's perfect!" Gohan said. He took the dress from the man and felt the material. It was a soft, elastic material. It was something he could imagine Videl wearing. It was not a revealing dress. It was simple and beautiful at the same time. "I'll take it."

"Okay, what size does she have?" the man asked. Gohan looked down and thought to himself. That was another good question he had forgotten to do any research for.

"Well, she's very slim," Gohan said. He knew he was not helping the man with that comment and he looked around. He saw a girl with blond hair in the shop. She was wearing a tight, short pink shirt. Gohan pointed at her. "She's like that."

Gohan paid for the dress and left the store with the dress wrapped in a dark red paper as if it were a present instead of something he owed her. From the clothing shop, Gohan crossed the hall until he walked passed a magazine store. He entered it and noticed that he was the only one in the shop except for a bored woman behind the counter. He smiled at her, but she did not smile back. Gohan quickly turned his attention to the magazines. They had everything; car magazines, comics, pony magazines, Curacao magazines, recipe magazines, and there it was: Applied Forensics Dynamics. Gohan took it and paid for it. He left the store and sighed. He was finally done now.

Gohan hurried to the stairs and climbed up to the deck. He was welcomed by a nice sea breeze. He smiled as he walked across the deck. The sky had turned orange, and it would not take long before the sun would set completely. Luckily, it was never cold in Vegas, so he could sleep on the deck, but he did not know how it was in Curacao. As Gohan reached his room, he knocked before opening the door with his keys. As Gohan entered, he noticed that Videl had fallen asleep. She was lying curled up into a ball, and she was breathing slowly. She inhaled sharply and Gohan was about to apologise for waking her when she started moving, but she just turned herself around. Her back was now facing him.

Gohan smiled and placed the 'present' on the nightstand, and he put the forensics magazine on top. He then looked back at her. He wanted to cover her, but he had to pick her up in order to cover her with the bed sheets, but that would most likely wake her up, and he did not want to risk that. Gohan walked to the other bed and grabbed the sheets. He put these over Videl without waking her up, and then left the room.

There were not many people out on the deck anymore. It was dinner time, so they probably had gone downstairs to eat. He could take Videl out for dinner after she had woken up. Erasa and Sharpner could come along. He looked around. He had not seen these two anymore after they checked in. Oh well… Gohan grabbed one of the white plastic chairs on the desk and sat down. He looked into the setting sun one last time before he too dozed off.

-- -- -- -- -- --

"How do I look?" Gohan awoke by the sound of that voice. He turned around instantly, to see Videl, wearing his dress. Gohan thought she looked gorgeous. The dress was a bit tighter than the usual clothes he had seen her wearing, but she looked amazing. Gohan got up and walked to Videl. He tried to hide a yawn. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No, no, I was just resting my eyes," Gohan said. Videl smiled and Gohan noticed that her blue eyes matched great with the black dress. He should buy her dresses more often. It indeed was not a revealing dress and it reached her knees like the old dress, though something seemed to be missing around her neck. Would she get a wrong idea about him if he bought her a necklace? "Do you like the dress? Does it fit?"

"Yes, I like it. You got my size right too," she said. Gohan smiled. Good, she liked it. Now, he just had a dream, and it would be great if it could come true. It would be perfect if she would agree to have dinner with him. There was this great cosy restaurant downstairs which had caught Gohan's eye. He was sure that Videl would love it. His eyes travelled down her arms to her wrist. She needed a bracelet too.

"Videl, would you--"

"Hey! Long time no see!" Gohan was interrupted by Erasa, as she emerged from the room next to the one of Gohan and Videl. Gohan sighed. He would really have to get used to these interruptions and not ask Videl anything unless they were in their room. Erasa walked over to them. "Hey, do you guys want to have dinner? Sharpner and I are getting kind of hungry so we're going to grab something to eat soon."

"No thanks," Videl shook her head to Gohan's surprise, "I still have a lot of other things I need to do first." Gohan looked at her. What was she going to do then? Why didn't she tell him that she had to do something? Well, at least Erasa saved him from getting turned down by her. That was a good thing.

"Oh, okay. Nice dress, by the way. Turn around!" Erasa said. Videl obliged and turned around. Gohan looked away. He was still trying to figure out what she was planning on doing. The most horrible scenes crossed his mind and one in particular kept coming back; Videl committing suicide. He tried to remain calm.

"Yes, it is a very nice dress," Videl replied. Erasa nodded.

"Well, I'll be taking Sharpner out for dinner. If you need me, I'll be downstairs. We'll see you guys later," Erasa said. Videl waved her friend goodbye as she walked off and went back to the room. Videl then looked back at Gohan. He met her look.

"What do you have to do, Videl?" he asked. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Just some shopping, I don't have any other clothes besides this dress and that means that I also don't have any underwear. So for the sake of my hygiene, I need new clothes," Videl said. Gohan walked back to the chair and sat down on it again with his head in his hands. He had to calm down. He knew that she had been through a lot, but she had it quite under control! Oh, the damned functions of a brain, thinking thoughts that are so wrong! "Did I say something wrong?"

-- -- -- -- -- --

"I never knew that you liked to shop," Videl said, as she gave her credit card to the cashier. She had bought all the clothes that she needed, and Gohan had been of great help. He even gave her tips, and new which colours would go with her eyes and he knew what style she liked.

"I don't like to shop, but this is a different occasion," Gohan commented. He took the plastic bags from the cashier and smiled. He only got a little uncomfortable when she had to buy her underwear, and she just loved to tease him with it. He had just been leaning against the doorframe, blushing a bright red.

"Hey Gohan, do you think these will fit me?" she had asked him, holding up a blue, lacy bra. He was still blushing and raised his thumb up in the air. She loved it. Now they were done, and she was debating herself whether it was a good idea to ask him out for dinner. She figured that he had to be really tired after today. At least she had slept for a little while.

"Videl!" Videl had been staring off into the distance and had not been paying attention to her surroundings anymore until Gohan had started yelling at her.

"What?" she asked, still breaking free from her thoughts that had been crossing her mind. Sometimes it was nuisance, because they were not only good thoughts. At night she had trouble to get to sleep because of them, and yet it was taking up a lot of her energy. Except for now, her thoughts were focussing on Gohan, and if it had a good outcome, it would probably be a good thing.

"Are you in Level 44?" he asked her as they left the store. Videl shook her head.

"No, I was just thinking," she said.

"Oh my God, you are indeed in Level 44. You have created a whole world of thoughts of your own. Get out of it, now!" Gohan said. Videl started laughing.

"What are you talking about?" She had to calm him down. "Come on, let's—"

"Videl, would you like to have dinner with me?" Gohan asked, grabbing her two hands in his. Videl was shocked. She was about to suggest him the same thing! Shopping really takes the best out of a person, especially if they had a lot to shop for. Videl was not much of an eater, but she was hungry too. She had watched Gohan eat at the wedding of a friend, and he ate a lot. If even she had gotten hungry, she could only imagine how Gohan was feeling.

"Sure," Videl said. Gohan let go of one hand, but still held the other as he led her the way back to the stairs, but this time, he took her downstairs. Videl did not know whether to smile or to be scared, but she was very curious. Her heart knew that Gohan had already had several chances to take advantage of her, and he never did. Yet, she could not help herself but to be a little afraid. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," Gohan said. Videl squeezed his hand as he led her down the metal stairs. As they walked further down, classical music could be heard from the lower floor. Videl was really curious now. Did Gohan know what he was doing to her? Was he teasing her back for the stunt she pulled on him earlier?

When they reached the lower floor, they entered a small hall. The stairs went even further down, but there was a sign next to the stairs, saying that that area was a prohibited area. The small hall was leading to a door. Two employees were standing in front of the door, also dressed in a white suit. These people were everywhere! Videl was hoping for them that they got paid a lot to be so far away from home and still having to work.

"Do you have a reservation?" asked one of the employees. Gohan frowned. He had obviously expected to be able to get in without any reservations. Well, Videl would not mind to go to another place. They had salads everywhere anyway.

"No, do we need one?" Gohan asked. He showed them the remains of the tickets, and they stepped aside.

"No, you don't. Have a nice meal," The men opened the door for them and Gohan and Videl stepped inside. They had entered a huge restaurant where classical music was played. The carpet on the floor was red and there were silver lamps hanging from the ceiling, enlightening the room. Videl was amazed how cosy the room was. There was a ballroom attached to the restaurant and many people were dancing. In this restaurant, there were small wooden tables and seats placed in groups. The cushions on the seats were made of a green material. Most of the people in this restaurant were wearing really posh clothes. Videl thought that maybe she was a bit out of place, wearing her black dress that reached her knees, instead of some long golden dress or skirt made by an expensive designer.

"Wow, this ticket really gets you anywhere!" Videl said. Gohan laughed.

"Yes it does, doesn't it? Next time, we'll ask for a presidential suite. Okay, for two presidential suites. If I make a lot of money as a CSI, I would actually be able to pay for this all," Gohan walked Videl to a table and shove the chair backwards, so that Videl could stand in front of it, and sit down on it as he shoved the chair back up front. He was a real gentlemen, and smiled as he sat down himself. There was a candle in the middle of the table.

"Oh yeah, I would live in a hotel and call room service at three o'clock at night," Videl said. Gohan smiled.

"Are you still up at that time?"

"No, but it's nice to know that at least you'll be able to," Videl shrugged her shoulders. Gohan nodded. "So what are you going to order?"

"I'll have some red whine and another expensive meal I'll probably never eat again in my life," Gohan said. "What are you taking?"

"I'll have some red whine too and a salad," she answered.

"Is that all you're taking?" he looked at her with a really concerned look, but her smile reassured him.

"No, I'll have something to go with it, but I at least want a salad," Videl said.

"Okay," Gohan said, and he raised his hand up to call for a waitress.

-- -- -- -- -- --

"You need help, Videl," Gohan had been avoiding the subject the whole time, but he could not do it anymore. He was worried as hell. He could offer her a nice time for two weeks, but after these two weeks, she would have to go back home and everything would be like back in the old days. Videl would be abused again, and the thought that he could not help her was terrifying. Videl raised her hands up in defence.

"With what? I'm having chicken and I know how to eat by myself," Videl smiled, but Gohan could not. He was really worried, and he thought he had a good reason to. If Videl had been through this all her life, what must her mind be like? What was she thinking right now? What was she planning on doing?

"You know what I'm talking about. You need to get away from your father immediately. What's his name, Videl?" He grabbed her hand, but Videl looked away and shook his hand away.

"All of sudden, I'm not this hungry anymore," she said, and she got up from her chair, but Gohan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. She did not bother to try to get up again. It was of no use.

"Videl, I need to know!" he said. At that moment, a waitress brought Gohan's asparagus omelette in. Gohan thanked her and then looked back at Videl. She was still looking down, and Gohan understood that she did not want to talk it over in a restaurant like this. So, he grabbed their plates, and the bottle of champagne. Videl frowned at him. "We're taking this to go, come on."

"Alright," Videl, still frowning, grabbed the glasses and followed Gohan to the bar in the middle of the restaurant. Gohan was determined to talk, and she knew that she could not get out of it. Gohan talked to one of the waitresses behind the bar, and Videl waited, staring at the empty glasses, until an old man came up to her.

"Excuse me, young lady. Me and my wife have been looking at you for a while, and we were just wondering…aren't you the world champion's daughter?" Videl did not even answer the man or excused herself. All she could do was to look at Gohan, shaking her head in excusal, and opening her mouth to say something, but the words would not come. Gohan turned to Videl, a look of disbelief on his face. He narrowed his eyes at him.

"Is that true, Videl? Are you Hercule's daughter?" Gohan's voice sounded really cold as he asked her this. It would have been a lot easier if Videl had had the talent to lie, but she could not. Not to him, at least. She was still trying to find the right words to tell him. Where were they? She was not the type to just shut down like she was right now.

"Videl? So it really is you?" the old man asked, delighted to meet the daughter of a celebrity. Videl was, however, not paying any attention to him. She watched how Gohan sighed and turned around and just walked off without saying anything. Videl went after him as he left the restaurant.

"Gohan, let me explain! Please!" Gohan was walking in his fast pace again, and Videl was running to keep up with him. Gohan seemed really pissed this time and he quickly climbed the stairs.

"You don't have to explain, Videl," Gohan said. His voice echoed through the empty stairways. Videl felt lost. How could she ever make it up to him?

"I want to explain, Gohan, give me a chance to do so!" Gohan did not reply her anymore. Videl kept following him. He was probably going back to their room so that they could talk it out over there, but when they reached the deck, Gohan walked to the railing and sat down. He did not even bother to grab a chair. Videl watched him put the plates and the bottle down, and she slowly walked to him and hesitantly sat down. She watched Gohan's reaction, but he was just looking down.

"I'm not pissed at you, Videl. I can understand why you couldn't tell me that he was your father," Gohan said. Videl placed the glasses next to their plates. Yet Videl wondered if he was just saying this to reassure her. How could he not be pissed at her for this?

"I just couldn't because I thought you'd hate me. My dad didn't beat Cell like he's still pretending to have done and of course, it is a strange story that he beats me up and the other things that are going on… I sound just like the typical drama daughter who wants to be in the news," Videl explained. Gohan looked up at her. He should have brought a candle. The sun had set, it was now dark outside and the deck was really empty except for a few people here and there.

"Well, I don't hate you, I hate him. I especially hate him because I know what he's doing to you and for what he possibly could have done to your mother. I've seen the bruises, Videl. You're not just a drama daughter asking for money. You didn't want me to do anything about it even!" Gohan explained. Videl looked away.

"You can't do anything about it. No one will believe me. If someone does believe me, he probably finds a way to pay them and than all will be lost. I'll find a way to get away. I have to," Videl said.

"I'm just really worried about you. You probably don't feel safe anywhere, you can't trust anyone and you'll probably think that every guy is just thinking of one thing. All I want is to protect you. You deserve a nice time off for two weeks, but what will happen after that? I can't sleep knowing that you will be hurt," Gohan said, looking down at his plate.

"I just try not to think about it," Videl said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yes, but I think about it all the time, and I can't help it. You're in such a nasty situation. I'm amazed you didn't turn out to be a stealing drunk or whatever. You handle this so well, but I just want to help you," he said.

"Gohan, how much time a day do you think about your problems? You don't have a nice situation at home either, but does it stick with you all the time?"

"No…"

"Well, it's the same with me. I don't think about it all the time. Sometimes I tend to doze off and then I think it all over, but I'm not as broken as you think. I can handle the situation as long as I'm away from home. I don't think about it all the time. I guess it would be wrong to say that I'm used to the situation, but I can deal with it at least," Videl said.

"Videl, there is no dealing with this situation. You just have to get away from there and then you can deal with it in your own time. I don't believe that you're not bothered by it all."

"Listen, I am bothered, but I just don't show it much. I have a trouble trusting guys, that's true, but if I am supposed to sit in a corner crying for every time I was raped…" Videl paused and looked away. "I might as well kill myself."

"As long as you know that I'm right there for you. I will help you to get away from there," Gohan grabbed her hand and Videl's eyes widened.

"No! Don't! It would get the press' attention and I would be haunted for life. I would have no personal life anymore, Gohan. No crime lab would want an emotionally unstable girl with her life broadcasted on television. No suspect would take me seriously. You can't do this…it would only make matters worse for me," Videl said, giving his hand a little squeeze.

"We'll just get you a medical examination, and from that examination they can tell that you're being abused and then they can nail him. No shadow of a doubt that your dad can be put behind bars after that."

"The last thing I want is a medical examination, Gohan. I don't want to lie down on some table with some person looking at…me."

"I don't care, but you're going to get away from there, Videl. One way or another I will help you. You look strong now, but all may be lost if you live there a little bit longer. One day, your father will punch you too hard and then you'll die. I can't let that happen to you. I will find a way to get you out of there," Gohan had a determined tone in his voice, and Videl decided that it would be the best not to argue with him.

"Let's have our food, shall we?" she proposed as she took her knife and mutilated the chicken. Gohan smiled.

"Alright. Let's see what an asparagus omelette tastes like," Videl watched his reaction in delight as he ate it. He was smiling at first, but it faded away as he started chewing slower. He was looking around.

"Did we bring some napkins?" he asked, with his mouth still full. Videl shook her head and smiled. Gohan would have smiled back if it was not for his full mouth. "Excuse me." He got up and leaned over the railing and spat it out. Videl started laughing.

"It's not good? Have some of my chicken then," she said, shoving the plate over to his side. Gohan walked back and sat down on the opposite side of Videl. He was smiling again.

"So much for rich people's food. Seriously, what are they thinking? Asparagus omelette, caviar… I mean, who in the crazy world would want to eat fish eggs? If I ever earn the money to eat it whenever I want to, I will learn to eat it, but for now…no. It's awful," Gohan admitted.

"But if you ever get rich, you will eat it?"

"Yes, otherwise I don't belong to the wealthy class. I have to fit in," Gohan smiled as Videl offered him her chicken again. They ended up sharing the chicken.

"Now, that's a crazy reason. Hey, I have a question. What exactly is level 44?" Videl asked.

"It's just what I call the world people live in when they're thinking and close themselves off to the outside world. People are caught up in their thoughts sometimes, and I call it level 44."

"Why is it called like that?"

"Because you see it in people who are behind their computers a lot. They are caught up in the game, and close themselves off. 'Wait a sec, honey. I'm in level 44!' That's why. Besides that point, there is no reason."

"Who is that person that made you come up with level 44?"

"My dad… he doesn't play games, but he trains. It's basically the same," Gohan said, trying to smile. Videl knew that she just brought up a difficult subject, and she hugged Gohan as a sign that she wanted to support him. Gohan was astonished by her reaction. It was not the first she had hugged him, but he knew that it took her some courage to do it. Maybe she was afraid even. He rubbed her back and Videl laid her head on his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this, Videl," he said in a soft voice.

"I want to," she replied. After a while, she let him go and sat down on the opposite side of him again. Gohan sighed.

"Wouldn't our lives just be perfect for a soap opera?" He noted.

"No," she answered to his surprise.

"No?" He raised an eyebrow at her. She shook her head.

"In soap operas there is the one disaster after another. Nothing perfect, nothing like this ever happens," Videl said, before she looked down at the food. Gohan looked at the food too and then eyed her sharply.

"So you believe in perfect?" he asked, the sarcasm was almost dripping off his words, but Videl ignored it and shot him only what he could refer to as a sweet smile. "I don't know if perfect really exists."

"I guess no one knows if there really is a perfect, but…at least this is pretty damn close to it."

**End of Chapter 1**

-- -- -- -- -- --

Oh man, do you have any idea how long it took me to write this? Well, first things first, I have to thank Noryale a lot. She came up with a lot of great ideas which I am allowed to use and of course for giving me all the mental support in the world. Thank you, you keep me sane!

Second, I'm in search of a beta-reader. Could someone please be crazy enough to volunteer? Please, please, pretty please?

The last thing I want to say is that I hoped you liked it. Still, a lot of things will have to happen. Trust me, it will get more interesting. This story is still at the very beginning! Do not forget to review! They motivate me to continue to write…or to stop, that's up to you. I hope to hear from you all soon.

Love,

Frederica


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